


Friday Nights and Soy Sauce Sandwiches

by mezzosaka



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Post-Yumenosaki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 04:04:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7829764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mezzosaka/pseuds/mezzosaka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not like he even really wanted to live with him anyway. It's just... Kaoru felt bad, almost, when he saw a sign asking for a roommate with Kanata's number on it. It was hanging out in the open, for God's sake! If Kaoru wasn't the one to take the offer, some psycho killer could have. And sure, maybe Kanata is also a psycho killer. Maybe Kanata and the psycho killer looking for a roommate through street signs would have bonded over their level of crazy, but Kaoru was not about to let one of his friends die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friday Nights and Soy Sauce Sandwiches

Well, Kaoru has to admit, living with Kanata is just plain _weird_.

It's not like he even really wanted to live with him anyway. It's just... Kaoru felt bad, almost, when he saw a sign asking for a roommate with Kanata's number on it. It was hanging out in the open, for God's sake! If Kaoru wasn't the one to take the offer, some psycho killer could have. And sure, maybe Kanata is also a psycho killer. Maybe Kanata and the psycho killer looking for a roommate through street signs would have bonded over their level of crazy, but Kaoru was not about to let one of his friends _die_.

Besides, it beats living in his own house, and it beats living with Rei. As much as Kaoru loves Rei, living with him is a no-go. He probably has blackout curtains and burns incense at weird hours as he sacrifices a goat or maybe a virgin to the vampire elders. Kaoru hasn't recently been looking to get involved with any sort of vampire hierarchy, so he politely declined Rei's offer. And yes, politely declined is another word for pretending not to see the text until he told Kanata yes. So what? He didn't lie.

But it's not about Rei, is it? Kaoru's supposed to be brooding on Kanata, not some old man.

He didn't think Kanata was _that_ weird until he went to take a shower one morning and found the knob turned to freezing. Kaoru can understand an icy shower in the middle of summer, but it was a chilly day in spring when he saw it, and it made him immediately realize that Kanata takes the no-hot-water rule _very_ seriously. It was then that Kaoru also started noticing how many faucets are automatically cold when he turns them on.

But that was just the start. Once Kaoru walked into the kitchen and found Kanata eating what looked like cereal. But when he actually looked in the bowl, he only found seaweed floating in lukewarm water. He checked the pantry because he was _sure_ he had just gone grocery shopping, and sure enough, all his food was still there. He had approached Kanata and told him it was okay to share the food, and what did Kanata say?

“I like eating seaweed!”

You know the saying about not knowing someone until you live with them? That was the day Kaoru started believing in that. Kanata's weird, and Kaoru didn't (and still doesn't) know if he loves it or hates it. Oh, and the soy sauce. On everything. Even sandwiches! Who puts soy sauce on a sandwich? Kaoru was about to let the seaweed water slide, but he draws the line at soy sauce sandwiches. That's simply a crime against nature--no, a crime against all of humanity.

Anyway.

The only reason Kaoru _decided_ to reminisce is because of the strange scene he just walked in on. Kanata is currently dripping wet and staring at a blank TV. If Kaoru didn't know any better, he would think that Kanata is communicating to the mothership. And if he learned _anything_ at Yumenosaki, it was that those sorts of transmissions only occur through the hair that sticks up on the top of his head.

“What are you doing?” he asks, a bit flatly, and it comes out as more of a statement than a question. He just got back from trying to beat the storm home from work, and this strange sight slightly lifts his sour mood.

“What are you doing?” Kanata repeats, and his gaze stays on the TV for half a breath longer before he looks at Kaoru. “I was watching TV. But the power went out, so I'm waiting for it to come back.”

“I see,” Kaoru says. It's still late afternoon, but Kanata could have at least lit a candle or something. “How long has it been out?”

“...Ten minutes.”

“Let me get this straight.” Kaoru finally slips his shoes off and walks further into the room. “The power went out ten whole minutes ago, and you're still staring at the TV.”

“Yes. If it comes back when I leave, it might wonder where everyone went and turn off again.” Kanata pauses again, staring so deep into Kaoru's eyes that Kaoru's almost positive that Kanata's reading his mind. “But do you suppose it may be shy? Perhaps I should leave it for a bit, then.”

Just as Kaoru's about to answer, the television springs to life. Well, that should answer him. Now Kaoru can return to the safety of his room to find out if there are _any_ girls who want to do something tonight, and Kanata can go back to watching... whatever it is he was watching. What _is_ he watching?

A glance at the television says that it's a marine biology documentary, but Kaoru notices that there's absolutely no talking. It's just calming music and shots of colorful fish swimming along. Yet Kanata is intently staring at the screen, occasionally nodding. Not to mention that he's _still_ dripping, and he still hasn't answered why. He probably never will, as Kaoru learned that sometimes Kanata's just wet and any explanation he gives doesn't make any sense at all.

Whatever, Kaoru doesn't need to worry about it. Tonight, he'll spend some time with a nice girl instead of having to stick around Kanata.

 

-

 

Kaoru nearly flings his phone across the room. How is it possible that _every_ girl in his contacts list seems to have something else to do tonight? Can't they see that at least one of them has to be available to save Kaoru at any time? Honestly, girls these days, it's like they can't take a hint!

It sounds like Kanata's still in the living room, and it's way too early to feign sleep now. Besides, it'd just be plain rude not to spend at least one Friday night with Kanata. Kanata seems to hardly ever go out, and it makes Kaoru actually feel bad for him.

Okay, now it's getting kind of ridiculous. Kaoru should just stop staring at the door and walk out there. Kanata can't be doing something _too_ weird. Kaoru's pretty sure he's seen it all by now.

But when he steps into the living room, Kanata isn't there. His weird not-documentary is still playing on the television. Well, that's fine by Kaoru. He can retreat back into his room and pretend he fell asleep way too early. It's not like Kanata's used to spending Friday nights with other people. Kaoru can just wait until the next time he's left all alone to try and connect with Kanata again.

And then he hears a splash coming from the bathroom. And Kaoru confirms that he has not, in fact, seen it all when he looks over and sees Kanata sitting in the full bathtub completely clothed.

“Do you want to come swimming with me, Kaoru?” he asks, giving a small wave.

“Actually, I can't. I have a date.”

Kaoru gets halfway down the street before he realizes that he doesn't actually have anywhere to go, and maybe he should have just said yes and gotten in with Kanata. Whatever. Next time.

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: @izumakos


End file.
